SARGODHA, Pakistan — Some 50 Muslim villagers armed with clubs and axes attacked a showing of the “Jesus Film” near Sargodha in Punjab province on Dec. 9, injuring three part-time evangelists and four Christians in attendance.
Two of the evangelists were said to be seriously injured. The Muslim hardliners also damaged a movie projector, burned reels of the film and absconded with the public address system and donations from Christian viewers in Chak village at 7 p.m.
Officers at the Saddr police station refused to register a case against the Muslim assailants, sources said.
The three part-time evangelists — Ishtiaq Bhatti, Imtiaz Ghauri and Kaleem Ghulam — were screening the film within the premises of the Catholic Church of Chak.
Bhatti was treated for minor injuries, while Ghauri and Ghulam sustained serious injuries for which they received treatment at another hospital.
The evangelists said from their clinic beds that a Muslim cleric instigated the Muslim villagers, who were armed with clubs, spades and axes.
“They charged on us deadly and swiftly and left us injured and broke all our appliances and took away funds collected by congregants to help us,” Bhatti said. “Muslim men also injured those Christian villagers who tried to intervene and stop them.”
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